CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 171

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

RE:    S.B. No. 1093

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1093, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL READINESS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to more adequately prepare Hawaii's children for success in school by establishing a school readiness program as part of the State's early learning system.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that high quality early learning programs that are affordable and accessible for children are critically important for ensuring the success of Hawaii's keiki.  Developing a robust school readiness program is foundational as Hawaii works toward an early learning system for our youngest of keiki.  This measure will reaffirm the Legislature's commitment to early learning by establishing a statewide school readiness program.

     Your Committee on Conference further finds that currently, the Department of Human Services administers a child care assistance program called preschool open doors, whose purpose is to contribute to school readiness for children in the year prior to entering kindergarten.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Establishing the preschool open doors program as the statewide school readiness program within the Department of Human Services rather than the Executive Office on Early Learning;

     (2)  Requiring that the preschool open doors program providers conduct school readiness assessments;

(3) Deleting language prohibiting the program from providing instructional services that supplant or duplicate the academic program of any public or private school established to comply with section 302A-1132, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (4)  Clarifying that the preschool open doors program service is subject to the availability of funds;

     (5)  Removing the requirement that the preschool open doors program's sliding fee scale for copayment by parents or guardians be based on fulfillment of family participation requirements;

     (6)  Removing the requirements relating to contracting with eligible providers of school readiness services;

     (7)  Authorizing the Department of Human Services to adopt interim administrative rules without regard to chapter 91 or 201M, Hawaii Revised Statutes, subject to certain requirements;

(8) Requiring the Department of Human Services to report to the Legislature information regarding the preschool open doors program, prior to the Regular Sessions of 2014 and 2015;

     (9)  Inserting an appropriation of $720,000 for fiscal year 2013-2014 and $440,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 to the Department of Human Services to establish three temporary positions and to contract services for the purposes of implementing the preschool open doors program as the statewide school readiness program;

    (10)  Inserting an appropriation of $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 to the Department of Human Services for subsidies for the preschool open doors program;

    (11)  Making this measure effective upon its approval; provided that the appropriations shall take effect on July 1, 2013; and

    (12)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     Your Committee on Conference notes that this measure codifies the Department of Human Services' existing preschool open doors program but establishes a more rigorous program and stresses the importance of school readiness.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1093, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1093, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI, Co-Chair	____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair
____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE, Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Co-Chair
	____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Co-Chair